The Salaf’s Fear Of Allaah, By Ibn Al-Jawzee

Ummayah Al-Shaamee used to cry and weep in the masjid until his weeping became loud. The ruler of those regions sent him a letter saying, ‘You are disturbing those who pray with your excessive crying and loud weeping, so hold yourself back a little.’ When he read it, he cried and said, ‘The grief of the day of judgement has bequeathed me endless tears. I gain some relief by shedding some of them sometimes.’

Abu Bakr gave away all his wealth, now even sparing his garment.

‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab wished that he were an inanimate shrub.

‘Uthmaan wished that after his death never to be resurrected (out of fear of Allaah).

‘Alee Ibn Abee Taalib shouted at this worldly life (saying), “I divorce you thrice, therefore you are unlawful to me now forever.” Even though a single divorce would have sufficed, but he did it thrice to ensure that someday his self-desire would not rekindle the hope of returning to it: not that his nobility would ever allow him to seek a loophole by means of which he would return to it.

Aboo Dardaa’ wished he were a fodder plant chewed by animals.

‘Imraan Ibn Al-Husayn (d.52H) wished he was reduced to ashes.

Indeed you listen to the Quraan but undoubtedly you do not hear it (its message) the way they heard it.

Al-Fudayl Ibn Iyyaad used to cry constantly, to the extent that he used to weep even during his sleep, which used to wake up his family.

Ibn Adham and Al-Saaree used to urinate blood because of their fear of Allaah.

Some people entered upon Al-Junayd while he was on his deathbed and they found him praying. [After he had finished] they greeted him and so he replied to their greeting and said, “This is not a time for wasting,” after which he commenced the salaah again.

Their tongues were busy in the remembrance of Allaah, their inner thoughts were overwhelmed by Allaah’s love, their yes shed tears of fear, and their self flees from his life to the house of asceticism.

Whenever people saw Al-Hasan Al-Basree, they would think as though a calamity had just befallen him.

Maaik Bin Deenaar (d. 130H) had a black line running own his cheek from how much his eyes shed tears.

‘Ataa’ Al-Salamee (a Taabi’ee) used to weep in his room so much that his tears would drain into the gutter of his house. One day his tears plashed upon a person who was walking in the street, whereupon the man shouted, “O people of the house, is this water pure?” ‘Ataa’ replied, “You should wash it off because these are tears of a person who disobeyed Allaah.”